For inspiration and design ideas, it’s always good to see how other people use colour and texture in their work. I visited the RHS Garden Show at Cardiff this weekend and particularly liked this design by Robert Hughes called ‘The Sanctuary’. It’s a spiral design that uses a curved wooden bench that sits on an island of cobbles and gravel. What I liked most was the soft, pink planting scheme that he used to offset the hard landscaping.

Spring flowering Dicentra, Euphorbia and Heleborus foetidus were planted amongst more structural grasses and varying shades of Phormium to create this calming space.

Gloriosa rothschildiana at RHS Cardiff Garden Show

I’m always excited when I discover a new plant and while I was at the RHS Cardiff Garden Show this ‘Flame Lily’ caught my eye. It’s latin name is Gloriosa rothschildiana and it originates from South Africa. It has exotic, lily-like flowers and grows like a vine by means of tendrils at the tips of the leaves.

I managed to buy 3 tubers and am going to plant them in a pot with a support on which they can climb up. Each finger-like tuber should be planted 2-4 inches deep and 12 inches apart and not put outside into the garden until the threat of frost has disappeared. It should then be placed in direct light and watered well while it flowers.

I shall watch my new plant with interest and hopefully be rewarded with the same display of flowers as shown in my photo here in hertfordshire!